Hangzhou, the capital of China's Zhejiang province, will be the fifth mainland China city that United serves and the 14th Asia/Pacific destination the airline serves from San Francisco. With 30 years of service to China, United operates more nonstop US-China flights to more cities in China than any other US airline, and offers more trans-Pacific flights to more cities from San Francisco than any airline offers at competing hub airports.

"We look forward to welcoming Hangzhou to our global route network using the customer-favorite 787-9 Dreamliner," said Jim Compton, United's vice chairman and chief revenue officer. "We will offer customers unique nonstop flights between the West Coast and one of China's fastest-growing travel markets. Additionally, customers traveling from China to the US will find convenient, easy connections at our San Francisco hub to many US business centers and leisure destinations."

"At United, we want to be the airline that our Chinese customers choose first," said Eliza Lin, United's director of Sales for Eastern China. "We are bringing our customers in China and the US the choice, comfort and convenience they deserve, and our growing trans-Pacific network offers customers more ways to travel between the US and China."

United's service to Hangzhou offers business and leisure customers convenient options for travel to Shanghai and China's central coast.

United celebrated its 30th anniversary of service to China in February 2016. Today, United serves Beijing with nonstop flights from Chicago, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington/Dulles; Shanghai with nonstop flights from Chicago, Guam, Los Angeles, New York/Newark and San Francisco; Chengdu with nonstop flights from San Francisco; and Hong Kong with nonstop flights from Chicago, Guam, Ho Chi Minh City, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Singapore. United plans to operate seasonal nonstop service to Xi'an from its San Francisco hub during the period of May 8 to October 27, 2016 (westbound), subject to government approval.